Denver, CO
Denver shelter where child fell several stories from window has a history of broken window locks
The Denver building where an 11-year-old girl was injured after falling several stories from an open window on Monday has a history of broken window locks, according to city officials and legal letters sent to the Salvation Army.
A resident at Denver’s Tamarac Family Shelter reached out to Darren O’Connor — a Colorado-based attorney who focuses on family law, civil rights and eviction tenant representation — early last year because water was seeping into his family’s unit and causing mold to grow in the carpet, O’Connor said.
The leakage was traced to an unsealed, sliding glass window that wouldn’t close entirely or lock, which concerned the family with a crawling toddler, O’Connor said.
O’Connor described the issue as a “phenomenal risk of catastrophe” in a letter to the Salvation Army about the unit’s habitability in February 2024.
Throughout his investigation, O’Connor discovered that a large chunk of the building’s windows weren’t sealed and shelter residents were opening the already lock-broken windows or unscrewing them to cool off, he said. All of the windows led to tiny platforms with no railings to prevent a multi-story fall.
The family shelter at 7525 E. Hampden Ave. used to be an Embassy Suites hotel. The hotel removed the railings and locked window access to the balconies before the city bought the building, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said during a Mayor-Council meeting on Tuesday.
“When we acquired it, we shored up the locks,” Johnston said. “We also put notices on every window in both English and Spanish saying ‘Do not open these sliding doors’.”
Some residents broke off the locks and opened the doors against that guidance, which is how Monday’s tragedy happened, he said.
It’s unknown if the 11-year-old girl has been released from the hospital. The Salvation Army previously said the girl was seven years old.
The cause of the fall is also unknown, but Derek Woodbury, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Housing Stability, called the situation an “accidental falling” on Monday.
The Denver Police Department is investigating the incident. An unidentified spokesperson for the department said the girl suffered serious injuries when she fell from the seventh floor to a second-story rooftop but is expected to survive.
“The reason the balconies don’t have a fence is because you’re not supposed to get out there to begin with,” said Jon Ewing, a spokesperson for the city of Denver.
Ewing said the windows are screwed shut and shelter tenants sign an agreement not to open them. The screws are supposed to be inspected every week, but they’re certainly inspected at turnover by Salvation Army staff, Ewing said.
“You have to open them yourself … unless somebody didn’t notice that the window could still open,” Ewing said.
The Salvation Army did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Tuesday.
The windows open roughly four inches for ventilation, but the screws make it difficult for some, Ewing said. City officials are installing new fasteners in the shelter’s rooms to fix that issue and prevent tampering.
“What we’re doing today is making a permanent solution where we’re putting in bolts that can’t be manipulated with … regular screwdrivers that you can buy at the store to go even a step further,” Director of Denver’s Department of General Services Al Gardner said during the Mayor-Council meeting.
Staff also went through every room in the shelter to tighten the current window bolts and ensure the windows couldn’t open from the inside, Gardner said.
“All we care about is that the guests are safe,” Ewing said. “That’s why we have a family shelter. We screwed the window shut, we said don’t open the window, but that’s all we can do. We can’t be there 24/7.”
Ewing said residents can file maintenance requests to fix broken window locks, but O’Connor said getting Salvation Army to complete any repair requests was difficult and a case manager on site threatened to have his client discharged from the shelter.
The Colorado attorney said he had to threaten to take the Salvation Army to court before repairs on the window, a broken fridge and growing mold were made. Even then, the window was shut but not routinely checked.
O’Connor said his client faced ongoing issues with the management and ended up moving out of the shelter out of fear for his family’s safety.
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Denver, CO
Denver officers cited for separate incidents, 1 fired
DENVER (KDVR) — Two officers, one now formerly of the Denver Police Department, face multiple charges relating to separate incidents in the past two months.
According to a release, now-former Denver Police Officer Gabriel Lucero was issued a citation for third-degree assault, official misconduct and false reporting, while Officer Javon Leach was cited for reckless driving and eluding.
The incident involving Lucero reportedly occurred on May 22 just before 1 a.m. in the 500 block of 16th Street. According to a release, Lucero was involved in an assault at a business, as he allegedly assaulted a person and walked away as others continued to assault the victim.
Security guards and an off-duty officer escorted him and the group out; however, Lucero reportedly identified himself as a Denver police officer and attempted to re-enter by using his police badge.
Lucero reportedly provided a false name without any other information, and further investigation verified Lucero as the person involved. Lucero was hired in 2025 and, due to his current probationary status, was fired as of Wednesday.
The incident involving Leach occurred around 1:41 a.m. on June 21, when Leach was reportedly pulling out of a parking lot on Larimer Street, attempting to drive against traffic.
Leach reportedly refused commands to stop as he left the area. Officials said he was found just seven minutes later, traveling at high speeds northbound on Park Avenue West.
He reportedly fled a traffic stop and continued to drive away, and officials deemed Leach to be the suspect following an investigation. He was placed in an off-line assignment while the case progresses, as they are considered misdemeanors.
“The Denver Police Department’s administrative review of Leach’s incident will begin once the criminal case is adjudicated, and that process includes the Denver Department of Safety and the Office of the Independent Monitor, a civilian oversight agency,” the release said.
Denver, CO
Peyton Watson landing spots: Could Nuggets star actually leave Denver?
Denver Nuggets standout forward Peyton Watson could find himself on another team before you know it.
With the Nuggets reportedly open to a sign-and-trade of Watson, could Denver really lose a core piece to their rotation?
It’s hard to imagine many teams being able to shoulder the financial weight of a Watson contract at this point because of the aprons and such, but he’s absolutely an asset to any contending team.
We’ve gone through and identified a few teams that make sense for Watson in the fall… including the one he’s already on at the moment. Hey, he might stay home, you never know!
The Clippers have been linked to Watson as a possible destination; he could help them immensely.
The Pistons have also been linked to Watson, which would help them a lot to contend for an NBA title.
Look, HYPOTHETICALLY, the Nets could move around some cap space with some player trades and such and get a deal done. They are one of the only teams in the NBA right now not in the negative with cap space.
The Grizzlies are the team with the least amount of negative cap space right now, per Spotrac. If they really wanted to pull off a Watson sign-and-trade… it would be hypothetically possible from a money standpoint.
Denver Nuggts
Look, it’s very possible Watson just stays in Denver on a brand-new deal. Who knows at this point?
Denver, CO
City of Denver says images of piling waste a case of illegal dumping
DENVER (KDVR) – A Denver Park Hill Resident says trash in her alley hasn’t been picked up by city-run waste collection in more than 2 months.
“It’s starting to be frustrating because that pile has been there 2.5 months, and I’m not kidding about that,” Andrea Sanders-Childs said.
A spokesperson for Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) says they did receive a call about the address on Krameria in mid-June and are investigating the case as ‘illegal dumping’ versus ‘missed collection.’
The DOTI spokesperson says more information will be available when the inspector assigned to the area returns on Wednesday.
Sanders-Childs said that the people who live in the home closest to the mess had actually rented a dumpster; however, it was eventually picked up and towed away.
In the meantime, for Denver residents, DOTI provided FOX31 with the following reminders:
- Carts that are overfilled, stuffed or too heavy cannot be emptied
- All trash must be inside the cart, and overflow trash cannot be collected
- To report illegal dumping, call 311
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